In September 2022, the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) randomly drug-tested officers Norhan Mansour and Omar Polanco. Both tested positive for cannabinoids. Both admitted they had used cannabis off-duty but insisted that they had only purchased regulated, legal product from New Jersey dispensa
Timothy Metter, a Prince George’s County police officer, sued the County after he was terminated without receiving an administrative hearing board, despite earlier communications to Metter and his union suggesting that a trial board would be offered. Metter had been arrested in 2022 and later pled g
On December 29, 2022, the City of Pittsburgh filed an appeal of Arbitrator Ralph Colflesh’s award to reinstate Police Officer Aaron Fetty, who had been terminated for indecent sexual assault — specifically, groping a coworker. The City had initially disciplined Fetty in September 2021 with a three-
Deputy Chief Christopher Massey, a white male who had served the Bergenfield Police Department in New Jersey since 1995 and risen to Deputy Chief, had been acting as Officer In Charge since February 2019. Following his interview for the Chief of Police position, the Borough Administrator told Mass
On January 15, 2026, Westchester County in New York posted a job vacancy announcement for a Major Case Squad/Gang Intelligence Officer position in the County’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The posting stated that any “Correction Officer” with ten years of department service could apply by su
Justin Jobes, a Firefighter/EMT for the City of Bellevue, Washington, refused to comply with the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He claimed that receiving any available COVID-19 vaccine would violate his sincerely held religious beliefs. The City, rather than simply terminate him, offered Jobes fiv
On December 30, 2025, Oxford County filed a request with the Maine Labor Relations Board seeking an interpretive ruling. The County was stuck between two unions.Two employees had filed grievances against the County and were representing themselves through private attorneys. Teamsters Local Union
Joshua Young, a white corrections officer, attended a mandatory racial sensitivity training at the Colorado Department of Corrections. The training included a glossary defining “white exceptionalism” and “white fragility,” advice that leaders should let less powerful people speak first, and recomm
In September 2022, the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) randomly drug-tested officers Norhan Mansour and Omar Polanco. Both tested positive for cannabinoids. Both admitted they had used cannabis off-duty but insisted that they had only purchased regulated, legal product from New Jersey dispensa
The National Correctional Employees Union Local No. 143, which represents Erie County correctional officers and shift supervisors, filed an unfair practice charge after the County unilaterally implemented a new prison entrance policy prohibiting employees from bringing “open containers of liquid” i
Andrew Abel Gonzalez, a school resource officer with the Corpus Christi Independent School District, was charged with “three counts of official oppression” after allegations that he conducted unlawful student searches and planted evidence. The charges arose from a March 7, 2023, incident at a midd
From Missouri:Question: What protections, if any, do female officers have when it comes to a transgender person being in their locker room?Answer: There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Many employers now permit transgender employees to use locker rooms consistent with their gender identity, often ba
The Supreme Court has wrapped up its 2026 docket, and, in this podcast, Rick covers three decisions that impact public safety employees.US v. Hemani (03:19)Margolin v. National Association of Immigration Judges (32:13)Trump v. Slaughter (45:40)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A report released this week found that Minneapolis police often mishandled officer discipline cases in past years.The report was issued by Effective Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA), the group responsible for monitoring the policing agreement between the city of Minneapolis and the
DENVER, CO — After more than a year of back-and-forth with the city’s oversight body, the Denver Police Department on Tuesday rolled out a new alternative to discipline for low-level misconduct by officers.The department first proposed the new policy last winter. Now, after at least three rounds of
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Morale and staffing are improving at the Alexandria Fire Department after the agency moved to a 49-hour workweek, Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr. told City Council on June 23.The department adopted the schedule in October 2025, cutting average weekly hours from 56 to help with recru
PEMPROKE PINES, FL — Pembroke Pines has suffered another setback in its attempt to obtain the text messages at the center of the city’s months-long legal battle with its police union, according to court records.According to a June 17 order, a federal judge struck down a motion accusing union preside
The agency you’ve never heard ofFirefighters take on risks the rest of us never will. This spring, the small group of federal scientists who track how those risks affect their bodies came close to losing their jobs.What NIOSH doesCDC runs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NI
Vincent Antenucci, a New Jersey State Trooper, sought to avoid repayment of approximately $29,000 in salary overpayments that accumulated over several years due to an administrative error in his pay classification. After being promoted in 2012, Antenucci was mistakenly placed at a higher salary le
Chris Callaway, a Texas Ranger, had seen more than his share of trauma. By 2017, the job had taken its toll, and he took medical leave for alcoholism and PTSD. He transferred back to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2018, then took more leave in late 2019 for inpatient treatment.On January 15
The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) filed an improper practice charge after the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) terminated William MacDonald, a Plant Utility Engineer 1 at Hudson Correctional Facility who also served as the CSEA local president.
Christopher Handler, a corporal with the Brunswick Police Department in Maryland, received two letters of reprimand in August 2023: one for a speeding complaint and another for alleged unprofessional conduct toward a supervisor. Neither incident involved misconduct toward a member of the public. Han
Brad Wendt, the Chief of Police of Adair, Iowa, also owned two firearms stores. After obtaining Special Occupancy Tax status allowing him to purchase machine guns, he began writing “law letters” on Adair Police Department letterhead — ninety of them over four years. He claimed machine guns were for
The Village of Hatch Police Officers Association in New Mexico filed a prohibited practice complaint after the Village unilaterally terminated its take-home vehicle (THV) program in September 2025. The program, implemented through a 2020 resolution and general order, allowed officers to take poli